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There’s a rumour circulating on some news portals claiming that Tom Hanks has left the USA for good, moving to an undisclosed location. This supposed decision is said to follow Republican Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 US Presidential Election, where he defeated the Democratic candidate and outgoing Vice President, Kamala Harris. The speculation about Tom Hanks quitting the country over Trump’s return to power comes amidst reports of other celebrities, like Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi, reportedly leaving the country after the elections. Ellen DeGeneres Shifts to the UK With Wife Portia de Rossi Following Donald Trump’s 2024 US Presidential Victory – Reports.
But how true is the news about Tom Hanks leaving the USA - and, even more bizarrely, giving back his Oscar nominations? This kind of "scoop" has been pushed by questionable portals, such as one called Xyno.Online, which published an article with the headline: BREAKING NEWS: Tom Hanks Withdraws Oscar Nominations and Leaves U.S.: ‘I’ve Had Enough.’
The article even claims that Hanks posted an Instagram video where he sits on a bench like his iconic character Forrest Gump and tearfully announces his decision to leave the country. It further alleges that the Academy was shocked by his decision, other celebrities expressed concern, and Trump responded with sneering derision, telling Hanks to "go to Greece." Supposedly, Hanks' wife, Rita Wilson, reacted to Trump's comment by affirming their plans to move to Greece permanently, referring to it as the "cradle of democracy." Notably, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson were made honorary citizens of Greece in 2020.
Even actor Jaaved Jaaferi shared the article, captioning it: "One of my favourite actors stirred a hornet’s nest. More may arise in other countries. Not all ‘democratic’ countries are as accepting towards independent opinions as the US. Let’s see if this affects his work in Hollywood. Some powers that be are vindictive."
Fact Check: The Article Is Satire, and Tom Hanks Isn’t Leaving the USA
If you take a closer look at the article, it’s clear there’s a lot of nonsense in it. Tom Hanks hasn’t posted any Instagram video dressed as Forrest Gump. He didn’t act in non-existent movies like A Better Tomorrow, The Last Good Man, or A Kind Nation. Neither the Academy nor Trump has made any recent statements about him. The article is simply satire, albeit not particularly clever satire. Tom Hanks Reacts to Aamir Khan’s ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’, Calls the ‘Forrest Gump’ Remake ‘Extraordinary’.
While Tom Hanks has been vocal in opposing Trump, his second Presidential term isn’t enough to drive "America’s sweetheart" out of the country. The actor was recently seen in Robert Zemeckis’ film Here and spoke to CNN in June about the possibility of Trump returning to power. Hanks remarked:
"I think there is always a reason to be worried about the short term. But I look at the longer term of what happened. Our Constitution says, ‘We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union.’ That journey to a more perfect union has missteps in it, we know. I can catalogue them as much as you can, and I’m just a guy that makes movies and reads books."
So, the moral of the story? Don’t believe everything you read on the internet. And if you do, at least click through and examine what the article is actually saying.
Fact check
Tom Hanks is leaving USA
No. He is not!
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 25, 2024 05:48 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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